PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) bring together members who share common interests, activities or goals. SIGs are member-driven: members initiate them, decide how they should be run, and provide leadership and organization.

Special Interest Groups are a TTN member benefit. You must be a member in good standing to participate in SIGs.

Look through our Newly Forming SIGs to join a new group and have a voice in establishing that SIG.

And look through our Existing SIGs to join one (or two or more!) for more fun!

Newly Forming SIGs

City Restaurant Group

Do you love checking out the newest and hottest restaurants in the City? Are you on a first name basis with Stephen Starr, Craig La Ban and other restauranteurs and critics? This SIG is for you. The group will meet monthly on a Tuesday evening at 5:30pm to try out new restaurants and see what the buzz is all about.

We love the Arts in Philadelphia! The wildly popular Arts Appreciations groups are overflowing and another group is being formed. Arts Appreciation groups attend area art events and showings, usually together, and convene afterwards to talk about what they’ve seen. The groups travel about the Tri-State area to view a wide variety of media.

The latest fiction group in the city is off-the-ground and ready to meet in June to discuss the first book. The group will read mainly fiction with an occasional side trip to other genres. The locations will vary. First up is The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles on June 13th at the home of SIG Lead, Deb Staples.

Still Working
Are you still working? Is the transition to retirement ahead of you but you’re not quite there yet? This SIG caters to you. Members plan activities and get-togethers that take place during non-working hours so that those employed can attend. Members will also support one another during the transition to retirement and explore topics of interest to this “in-between” group. The group will meet on October 24th to plan its upcoming calendar of events.

How many times have you seen a movie, gone to an art exhibit, watched a television show or enjoyed a performance at the theater and wanted to discuss it with someone? Maybe you found it fascinating or maybe you thought it was half-baked and hyped. Well, this is your opportunity to make your voice heard in a SIG devoted to film, theater, dance and all the creative expression we love to call “the arts.” Bring a bag lunch and join the conversation!

Art Appreciation First Fridays: times vary depending on activity(At Capacity)

Interested in learning more about the arts in Philadelphia and the surrounding area? We visit museums and art galleries, take tours of architecturally interesting buildings and welcome suggestions for new and interesting art venues. Oftentimes we gather before or after the event for a meal.

Fashionistas Third Thursdays - 5:30 to 7:00 PM
Are you a fan of fashion? Would you like an opportunity to meet with other TTN’ers to discuss current fashion trends? Perhaps you would like to listen to experts on seasonal clothing and make-up trends? Would you attend a fashion show? Or a show about fashion at a museum? The group will decide which way to take this, but if you’re “into” fashion, this could be for you.

Do you enjoy taking photos with your phone, point-n-shoot or D/SLR camera? This SIG is for everyone who wants to talk a walk with friends while taking pics at different locales around Philly. We can meet indoors to share photos and techniques at meeting times when the weather is inclement. Trips to local photo exhibits and centers may also be on the agenda. No photography experience is necessary for this SIG, just a sense of adventure and willingness to take that shot!

At our age, we have a lot of stories! We may have fascinating, moving, juicy, funny, thoughtful or tender recounts of our life experiences that we've always wanted to tell. Interested in joining a SIG where we get together to write, show and tell those life stories?

Let's create our life portfolio through memoir, sharing our common experiences and wisdom while appreciating the unique perspectives that we all have.

(Don't worry if you feel your writing is not up to it. It's about the telling that matters.)

The group currently focuses on fiction (about life experiences from all parts of the world at all social levels), historical fiction, a few nonfiction gems and literary prize winners. Insightful discussions abound as the result of the varied backgrounds of the members. The group enjoys great writing and stories that expand its views of the complexities of life.

Ready for some serious armchair travel? This group travels the globe by reading books from the eighty most populated countries in the world. Their selections come from Book Riot’s Global Reading List. The list covers a variety of genres; the goal is to read the entire list.

The Art of the Book Group Second Wednesday: 10:30 AM - Noon
A book group which combines the love of art with the love of reading. We read anything that is related in some way to art. All genres – fiction, mysteries, novels, plays, short stories – are considered.

Each year produces books that significantly impact our world and the way we view it. Books on history, politics, social changes and literary prize winners inform and fascinate us. Many of these are challenging reads. This group will attempt to tackle these books together.

Fictionary Second Friday: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM (At Capacity)
This book group focuses on fiction. Bestsellers, prize winners, classics – if it’s fiction and the group agrees – it will be read and discussed.

Do you like nothing better than settling in with a great murder mystery or crime novel? Satisfy your inner Nancy Drew by joining a book club focused on well-written, well-plotted mysteries. Each month, we will explore one of the many sub-genres to understand their attraction – historical, international, American regional and the best-loved and admired detectives (male and female).

Biographies, autobiographies and memoirs are the selections for this book group. Members zero in on books about people who have made a significant impact on the world. Choices may also be those of enduring literary merit.

Do you love to read and are looking for a book group but don’t want to travel into the city? Like-minded suburbanites are looking for YOU! This group reads a variety of genres. The location may rotate in the future.

Are you an enthusiastic knitter? Or are you a knitting wannabee? (Don’t worry, we will teach you.) Do you enjoy crocheting or needlepoint? Bring your needles, yarn and lunch and show off your latest project.

Back to Bridge

We are excited to announce that a new TTN SIG, Back to Bridge, is starting this fall for people who want to expand their knowledge of bridge and have had some prior experience playing the game. If you are somewhat new to the game, have had some lessons or have played bridge in a "prior life" and want to re-up your game, join us for a new bridge group including private small group lessons taught by David Rose of the Bridge Club of Center City. The cost is $120 per person for 8 lessons. A Center City location will be selected.

We are accepting new member in our next round of ACBL private bridge lessons, taught by David Rose of the Bridge Club of Center City. The cost is $120 per person for 8 private lessons. The location is in Center City, near the Bridge Club. It is great fun with a fabulous teacher. Geared towards ACBL (American Contract Bridge League) Intermediate players.

Do you love to needlepoint? Thought about it but haven’t done it? A new SIG is forming for novice and veteran needlepointers.

The group will meet at a local craft shop. For the most part, members will gather to chat and stitch but from time to time, at the group’s option, the SIG will have the opportunity to take a class for a fee.

Documentaries are powerful explorations into a topic that often leave us moved…and ready to talk about it. This group views documentaries or TED Talks on their own and then meets once a month to discuss them.

The BMFI movie group in Bryn Mawr, Monday at the Movies, has been wildly popular and is ready to expand to a second group. If you’ve been wanting to check out the latest indie films at the Bryn Mawr and looking for companions to view and discuss, this group is for you.

There are so many great spots in the city to catch the latest films. The group sees a movie at a theater in the city and then gathers at a local café or restaurant to grab coffee, a drink or a meal and discuss the film.

Doylestown is home to the lovely, vibrant art movie house, The County Theater. This group meets on the first Wednesday of the month to view a film at The County and then adjourns to a nearby spot to discuss it.

The Bryn Mawr Film Institute is the place for this group of movie lovers. Members meet once a month to view an afternoon film and then get together at the lobby café to share a meal and discuss the movie.

The newest addition to our very popular Center City film groups is organized and ready to start going to the movies. The group will meet monthly to see a film at one of the Ritz theaters in town and then go to a nearby restaurant for a discussion and camaraderie. The first outing is slated for February 19th.

Thursday Afternoon at the Movies Third Thursdays: Around 1:00 PM (At Capacity)

This group views films at one of the popular art houses in the city and then gathers for a meal to talk about it. If you like catching the latest indie films and discussing them, this group is for you.

Like to cook? Like to sample new dishes? Each month, a different member of the group will host a lunch based on a selected theme. Members will contribute one of the following: appetizer, salad, entrée, dessert or drinks - for others to enjoy.

If you like to cook and try out new recipes, the newest Center City potluck lunch group may be the thing for you. In this SIG, members will prepare dishes based on recipes from favorite cooks and/or cookbooks and share them over lunch at each other’s homes. This SIG keeps your cooking skills fresh and allows you to get to know other TTN members over a tasty meal.

The Ladies Who Brunch (LWB) meets one Saturday a month to sample the incredible number of brunch offerings in the area. We follow the crowd or find some secret spots of our own. There’s no agenda, just a catch-up of news and gossip. Bring your favorite places to our next get together.

The ladies of TTN PHL love to lunch and some of our suburban members are hoping to start a once a month luncheon club in the ‘burbs. The group will meet on the Main Line and visit a new restaurant each month. It’s anticipated that the monthly lunch price will run about $25 and perhaps include a chef talk.

IIf you like dining with friends and trying out new recipes AND you prefer to attend a group in the Philly ‘burbs, this SIG is perfect for you. The group will meet monthly at different members’ homes for good food and good company.

Our first Wine Lovers SIG was so popular that we’ve had to start another one. This group will meet separately from Wine Lovers, but may share events with them. Group combines research and tasting, with meetings held at members’ homes and events at local wine bars.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) bring together members who share common interests, activities or goals. SIGs are member-driven: members initiate them, decide how they should be run, and provide leadership and organization.

Although some SIGs are unlimited in participation, many limit their participation to 12-14 members. This is a decision made within each SIG, mostly to accommodate good conversation among members or to accommodate living spaces used for meetings. If a SIG is at capacity, an effort is made to start a similar group, often on a different date or at a different time.

Special Interest Groups are a TTN member benefit. You must be a member in good standing to participate in SIGs.

To join a Newly Forming SIG, contact SIG Chairperson, Joanne Bowes, at jb@bowescentral.com to let her know. She will put your name on the list of those interested in being a part of the new group. She will be in touch with information on an organizational meeting designed to get the new group off the ground. At the organizational meeting, members will decide when and where the group will meet, who will be the Lead contact person and any other parameters the group decides on.

To join an Active SIG with Openings, contact the SIG Lead listed in the SIG description. The Lead will give you details on the group – how, when, where – and you are ready to go.

To join an Active SIG At Capacity, don’t despair! Many of our groups are limited in size due to space limitations. Often the groups meet in members’ homes and there is not enough room to accommodate everyone. Some groups limit size to provide an atmosphere for meaningful discussion and camaraderie. SIGs At Capacity do accept new members as space opens up so a Wait List is kept to fill spots on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Wait List is also kept to determine if opening another similar SIG makes sense. Many of our popular SIGs have sprung from overflow so don’t hesitate to contact Sally Mazzarella at sallymazzarella1@gmail.comnd let her know you’d like to be put on the Wait List for a particular At Capacity SIG.